Abstract

The Anisakidae (Nematoda) have a global distribution among a wide variety of marine fish species that serve as intermediate or paratenic hosts. The aim of this work was to study the occurrence of Anisakis spp. in the horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus L.) from the North Atlantic Moroccan coasts. A fish sampling was conducted monthly during the August 2010 - July 2011 period. Samples were collected from the zone between Tangier and Larache. Morphological identification showed that the larvae found in this fish species correspond to Anisakis spp. Most third-stage (L3) larvae observed were found in the abdominal cavity and rarely in the muscle. The infection prevalence and intensity vary with the sampling period and fish size. A positive but non-significant correlation was found between infestation intensity and the fish host length (R2 = 0.25). The highest mean intensities were observed for sizes > 28 cm during the March - June period.